There will be a touch of breeding royalty at Northam this afternoon when international galloper Rayina makes her Western Australian debut in the WA Farm Trees Handicap (1600m).

Rayina, a four-year-old Sinndar mare bred by His Highness the Aga Khan and recently purchased by Glenn Martin from Touchstone Farm, will race in Perth under the stewardship of Trevor Andrews.

Her early form in Ireland has been solid with one win and four placings from five starts and she was recently placed third at a barrier trial at Lark Hill.

But with all her runs at distances of 2000 metres or beyond you would think today’s first up assignment over the mile will be a difficult assignment to overcome.

“I think the mile will find her wanting but hopefully when we get her over more ground she can win a race and make her resume look a little better for when she does commence her stud duties.

“She was mainly purchased for breeding purposes and has a half-brother who ran second in the Irish 2000 Guineas.

“She has settled in alright but still has to learn the Australian way of training.

“Hopefully for Glenn Martin and Touchstone Farm we can put her name in lights and she can go to a nice stallion at some stage.”

Wanna Play Doctor was well supported when making her debut a fortnight ago and the money was spot on when she produced a strong win over Zebook in the Jono & Dano Show Maiden (1400m).

If she can reproduce a similar performance today she will prove extremely hard to beat and loses nothing in the saddle with Paul Harvey replacing the departing Willie Pike.

The Grant Williams team have been in good form of late-particularly at Northam-and Wanna Play Doctor is one to watch.

The Mark Bairstow-trained Daka Express should be nearing a win in the WA Farm Trees Maiden (1100m).

The four-year-old gelding was tardy out of the gates but was doing his best work at the finish and hit the line hard when third to Machamp over 985 metres last start.

The 1100 metre journey should be right up his alley and from an ideal gate in barrier four and with the services of in-form jockey Shaun O’Donnell; Daka Express should be making his presence felt this afternoon.